In a new twist to the commonly reported "online tech support" scam, computer users complain of frozen or blue screens just prior to receiving calls from individuals who claim to be from a major software company. These scammers promise to fix users' computers for a fee. It remains unclear whether the locked computers are directly related to unsolicited phone calls from scammers, or if users had experienced computer problems prior to receiving the calls.

IC3 also reports receiving intelligence related to telephone denial of service (TDoS) attacks that have targeted emergency service departments nationwide.

Other items featured in this latest scam alert include: new malware making the rounds online, a list of Internet users' most popular (and weak, easy-to-steal) passwords, and information about a scam that uses the IC3 name to dupe victims.